If so, why not go along to visit the council leader and his cabinet members this Saturday, January 15, in Merthyr Town Centre, where you can have the opportunity to be involved in setting the council’s budget.

Over the past few months, you will have seen details of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review and the Welsh Assembly Government’s provisional settlement, and how both of these will affect public services, communities and individuals in Wales.

Merthyr County Borough Council face challenging times ahead, with a provisional settlement of 1.7% and must make savings of £1.5m in providing services to the community.

A council spokeswoman said: “It is appreciated that our residents will be concerned about what effect this will have on the services that we deliver to you.

“It is recognised how important it is to communicate and consult with you to enable the local authority to identify their service priorities and to continue to provide an effective service delivery.”

So why not go along and give your views as a council tax payer and be involved in the process of developing the council’s budget for the forthcoming year by telling them what priority areas should be.

Alternatively, if you are not able to attend the public consultation, as from Monday, January 18, you can complete an online budget consultation questionnaire, which is available on the council’s website www.merthyr.gov.uk.

There, you can give your views on how you think the council’s budget should be spent and hopefully make a difference.